RAD blog

First things first, what is an Accredited Sports Dietitian? 

The minimum requirements to register as an Accredited Sports Dietitian with Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA) are: 

• Qualification to work as a dietitian (undergraduate or post graduate degree)
• Minimum 2 years clinical experience
• Further accredited sports nutrition studies
• Ongoing professional development 

Working with a sports dietitian can help you to:

• Learn how food and fluids influence your performance, recovery and wellbeing 
• Identify any areas you may be at risk of undernourishing; by performing dietary assessment and nutrient analysis
• Tweak nutrient intake and timing to optimise performance, training or recovery
• Develop a plan for race/game/competition days
• Fuel well while traveling
• Navigate the world of nutrition supplements
• Learn how to choose and prepare meals and snacks
• Correct any nutrient deficiencies identified by your doctor
• Get to the bottom of any gut issues you experience during sport
• Develop a healthy relationship with food and your body
• Hydrate effectively

Plus much more, so if you have any question or concerns that relate to food and eating (sports related or not), don’t hesitate to reach out.

Whilst a dietitian is trained in nutrition, science and bodies; they also recognise that YOU are the expert in YOUR body – so will work alongside you to find out what works best for you. 

What to expect at your first session with a dietitian at RAD: 

Michelle will spend around 50 minutes with you, getting to know you and your goals. She will ask questions about you including your medical and injury history, training schedule, food and fluid intake, how you spend your time outside of training and who your support networks are. You will receive a pre assessment form to fill in prior to your appointment to help with this. Then you will work together on establishing some long and short term goals and plans to get there. 

Depending on your situation (and with your consent of course!), Michelle may also work with your wider support crew; your coaches, team staff, doctors, surgeons, allied health and family members to help you meet your goals. 

Most athletes will require at least one follow up appointment with their dietitian to review and discuss their plans, others may need more regular contact. This will all be negotiated with you based on what your goals and needs are. 

Coming soon – Group sessions and cooking classes

Group presentations and interactive sessions can be arranged on request; for athletes, teams, coaches or parents. Please contact us for more info. 

We have plenty of ideas for the future of RAD nutrition, but we want to hear from you what would you like to see from RAD nutrition? Don’t hold back, you never know what might be possible 

Michelle Ryan – Sports Dietitian Ballarat

Email: info@radcentre.com.au

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